Her mouth is a honey-blossom, No doubt, as the poet sings; But within her lips, the petals, Lurks read more

Her mouth is a honey-blossom, No doubt, as the poet sings; But within her lips, the petals, Lurks a cruel bee that stings.

And there's a lust in man no charm can tame
Of loudly publishing our neighbour's shame;
On read more

And there's a lust in man no charm can tame
Of loudly publishing our neighbour's shame;
On eagles' wings immortal scandals fly,
While virtuous actions are but borne to die.

And though you duck them ne'er so long,
Not one salt drop e'er wets their tongue;
On read more

And though you duck them ne'er so long,
Not one salt drop e'er wets their tongue;
On eagles' wings immortal scandals fly,
While virtuous actions are but borne to die.

Everybody says it, and what everybody says must be true.

Everybody says it, and what everybody says must be true.

How awful to reflect that what people say of us is true.

How awful to reflect that what people say of us is true.

There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that read more

There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardly becomes any one of us to talk about the rest of us.

The mind conscious of innocence despises false reports: but we
are a set always ready to believe a scandal.
read more

The mind conscious of innocence despises false reports: but we
are a set always ready to believe a scandal.
[Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit:
Sed nos in vitium credula turba sumus.]

Dead scandals form good subjects for dissection.

Dead scandals form good subjects for dissection.

Old maids sweeten their tea with scandal.

Old maids sweeten their tea with scandal.